Mail-delivering apparatus.



J. H. 'I"UDOR. MAIL DELIVERING APPARATUS.

AYPLIOATION FILED 001.5, 1911.

Patented J an. 2, 1912;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. c.

MAIL DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0015, 1911.

Patented Jan. 2,1912

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

:OLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, I:v c

- nrTED STATES PATENT omncn.

JAMES H. TUDOR, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOB. 0F ONE-FOURTH T0 L. M. MOORE, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

MAIL-DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 5, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. TUDOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Fayette and.

State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Delivering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in mail-delivering apparatus, and the object is to provide means which is caused to be tripped during the movement of the train for discharging the bags from a receptacle carried by a car of the train into a receptacle along the track.

The invention consists of certain other novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my invention as applied to a car, and certain parts of the car broken away; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the car, and receptacle carried by the car and showing the tripping and releasing mechanism in elevation; Fig. 3 isa detail View of the releasing mechanism; Fig. 4 is a detail view in section of the manner and means of connecting the links together; Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view, showing the coupling plate and latch.

A, represents the car, and 1 is the receptacle or box which is connected to the bottom of the car. An opening 2 is formed in the bottom of the car for admitting the sacks from the car to the receptacle. A door 3 is hinged to one edge of the box or receptacle and forms the bottom of the box. A rod 4 extends through the bottom of the car and connected thereto at one end is a chain 5 which chain is connected to the door 3. Connected to the front side of the box is a door 6, which extends obliquely from the side of the box to the other door. An arm 7 is connected to the door 6, and connecting the arm and rod 4 is a chain 8. Connected to the upper end of the rod 4 is a casing 9 and connected to the top of the casing is a handle 10 which forms a means for raising the rodand for closing the doors, and for limiting the downward movement of the rod when the sacks are discharged from the receptacle. A dog 11 is pivotally mounted in the casing and stud 12 is connected to the dog which works or slides in a slot 13 in the casing 9. The stud 12 is adapted to throw the dog 11 outwardly so as to engage a latch 14 for holding the rod after the doors have been closed and thereby prevent the opening of the doors until the dog is released from the latch. The latch 14 slides in a keeper 15 connected to the floor of the car.

A bell-crank lever 16 is pivotally mounted in a bracket 17 and connected to the bellcrank lever is a link 18 which is connected to the latch 14.

A plate 19 is connected to a side of the car uponwhich is journaled a pulley wheel 20, and passing over the wheel is a rope or cable 21. Connected to one terminal of the cable is a rod 22, to which is pivotally connected a counter-weight 23. The counter weight 23 is pivotally connected to the bellcrank lever 16. Connected to the other terminal of the cable 21 is a link 24 which slides in keepers 25 on the plate 19.

The link 24 is made in two parts, as shown in detail in Fig. 6, the upper end of the lower section having a plate 50 hinged thereto. This plate 50 has a slot 51 therein, which receives a hook 52 on the lower end of the upper section of link 24, and a latch 53, pivoted at 54 on the plate 50, couples the sections of the link 24 together by entering the book 52 when the latch 53 is in its normal horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 6, and to disconnect the sections of the link,

the latch is raised and the plate is swung over to one side on its hinge 55. These sections are disconnected when the apparatus is to be made inoperative.

A stud 56 connected to the plate 19 is lo cated in such a position that it is directly beneath the latch 53 when the plate 50 is in its raised or connected position, as shown in Fig. 6, and in such a manner that the downward movement of the link 24 causes the stud 56 to raise the latch 53 and permit the plate 50 to drop outward due to the overbalancing weight 'of the lever 53 on the outer side thereof, and in this way the lower part of the link 24 is disconnected from the upper part automatically after each tripping operation. In most instances the latch would not be connected until just before the 1 erated.

station is reached at which it is desired to deliver the mail.

Connected to the car A, beyond each end of the box 1, and preferably near the trucks, are plates 26, 26. Each plate has a trip lever 27 and 28 connected thereto, which are fixed to pins 29 ournaled in the plates. Securely fixed to the pins 29 are links 30, so that on the movement of either trip lever one of the links 30 will be moved. Bell cranks 31, 31 are connected to the plates 26 and links 32 connect the bell-cranks tothe links 30. Rods 33 are connected to the bellcranks 31, a rod being connected to each of the bell-cranks, and each rod being made in two sections and the latter are connected together by turn-buckles 34 so that the length of the rods can be adjusted to suit the requirements. These rods 33 are each connected to a weighted bell-crank 35. The bell-cranks 35 are pivotally connected to the bottom of the car and are connected together by a spring 36 for holding them in proper or normal position. A link 37 is connected to one of the bell-cranks 35, and a link 38 is connected to the other bell-crank 35. As shown in F ig. 1 of the drawing, the link 38 is connected to the link 24. This is accomplished by a pin 39, (Fig. 4) and a sleeve 40 mounted on the link 24 is adapted to be moved over the connecting ends of the links to prevent the pin from becoming accidentally displaced. A latch 41 is pivotally connected to the link 24 and is adapted to be swung into a position to prevent the sleeve from moving along the link 24, and thereby allow the pin 39 to release the links.

In the operation of the device the trip lever 28, or the lever 27 when connected up, will engage a trip block 42 located at one end of the receptacle 43, which is located at a convenient point along the track, causing the link 30 to move as the lever travels over the block, thereby drawing the link 32 causing'the bell-crank 31 to be actuated. The operation of the bell-crank 31 draws one of the rods 33, thereby actuating one of the bell-cranks 35. The bell-crank 35 being connected to a link 38 causes the link to move, and the movement of the link causes the counter-weight 23 to be raised. The upward movement of the counter-weight 23 actuates the bell-cranks 16 thereby drawing the latch 14 out of engagement with the dog 11., which will cause the rod 4 to drop allowing the doors 3 and 6 to open and discharge the sacks into the receptacle 43.

If for any reason the trip levers 27 or 28 should not operate, a handle 44 which is connected to the side of the car could be op The handle 44 is connected to the link 22 by a rope or cable 45, so that by raising the handle the counter-weight 23 would be raisedand the latch 14 actuated for releasing the rod 4.

When either of the links 37 or 38 is not in use, I have provided brackets 46 which are connected to the car, and are provided with rings 47, which rings can be slipped over the end of the link not in use, and thereby keep it from interfering with the operating of the mechanism.

In order to throw the mechanism out of operation, the link 24, which is made in sec tions, is disconnected.

Having fully described my invention, and what I desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a delivering apparatus, the combination with a car, of a receptacle mounted on the car, doors connected to the receptacle, tripping mechanism connected to the doors, a trip adapted to be actuated for releasing the doors, means independent of the car for actuating the trip, a rod connected to the trip, and means connecting the rod to the tripping mechanism.

2. In a delivering apparatus,-the combination with a car, of a receptacle mounted on the car, doors connected to thereceptacle, tripping mechanism connected to the doors, a trip, means independent of the car for actuating the trip, a bell crank lever, means connecting the trip to the bell-crank, a rod connected to the bell crank, and means conneoting the rod to the tripping mechanism, whereby the doors will be released upon the actuation of the trip lever.

3. In a mail delivering apparatus, the combination with a receptacle carried by a car, and doors connected with the receptacle, of tripping mechanism connected to the doors, a trip adapted to be actuated for releasing the doors, means independent of the car for actuating the trip, and means carried by the car for disconnecting and rendering inoperative said tripping means.

4. In a mail delivering apparatus, the combination with a receptacle carried by a car, and doors connected with the receptacle, of tripping mechanism connected to the doors, two trips connected with the car and with the tripping mechanism for actuating the same, means independent of the car for actuating the trips, and means carried by the car for throwing one of the trips out of operative connection.

5. In a mail delivering apparatus, the combination with a car having an opening therethrough, and doors for the opening, of tripping mechanism connected to the doors, two trips depending from the car and connected with the tripping mechanism, means independent of the car for actuating the trips, one link for each trip, and means for connecting either link with the tripping mechanism.

6. In a delivering apparatus, the combination with a car, of a receptacle mounted on the car, doors connected to the receptacle,

tripping mechanism connected to the doors, trip levers, rods connected to the trip levers, a link connected to each rod, and means whereby either link can be connected to the tripping mechanism.

7. In a mail delivering apparatus, the combination with a receptacle carried by a car, and doors connected with the recep tacle, of a trip adapted to be actuated for releasing the doors, and means for automatically disconnecting the tripping mechanism from the doors.

8. In a mail delivering apparatus, the combination with a receptacle carried by a car, and doors connected with the receptacle,

of tripping mechanism connected to the doors, a trip adapted to be actuated for releasing the doors, means independent of the car for actuating the trip, and means for automatically disconnecting the tripping mechanism from the doors after each tripping operation.

9. In a mail delivering apparatus, the combination with a receptacle carried by a car, and doors connected with the receptacle, of tripping mechanism connected to the doors, two trips connected with the carand with the tripping mechanism for actuating the same, means independent of the car for actuating the trips, means for throwing one of the trips out of operative connection, and means for automatically throwing the other trip out of operative connection after each tripping operation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. TUDOR. Witnesses:

M. DALTON, E. CoYNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

